Best Italian restaurants on Long Island

(Credit: Kathy Kmonicek)

We ate our way across Long Island to narrow the field of our favorite Italian restaurants and found the ones that prepared popular dishes the best. Here they are, separated by county, for your driving pleasure. Buon appetito!

Angelina's
Italian
1017 Oyster Bay Rd. East NorwichWith a menu similar to Angelina's II, Angelina's is housed in a more modest setting but offers the same favorites, including minestrone, baked clams oreganata, broccoli rabe and chicken sausage on polenta and gnocchi Bolognese.

Benny's Ristorante$$$ | Italian, Restaurant
199 Post Ave. WestburyBenny's earned four stars when it opened in 1995, and it still deserves them today. Must-haves include an airy gnocchi with a savory, tender, zeppelin-size beef braciola in brown sauce; a juicy, double-cut pork chop; and fettuccine alla carbonara. To finish: superior zabaglione on berries.

Dodici$$$ | Italian-American
12 N. Park Ave. Rockville CentreThe Renaissance lives at this attractive (and often noisy) spot with vaulted ceilings, graceful columns and Michelangelo reproductions. What counts most is the carefully executed Italian fare, from the resonant white bean soup to the puffy-crusted pizzette to a special of gently stewed pork osso buco with an opulent saffron risotto. For a finale: rum-soaked bread pudding and airy tiramisu.

Il Mulino$$$$ | Italian
1042 Northern Blvd. Roslyn EstatesThe din is high, the lights are low and neither the crowd nor the waiters can get enough of themselves. Nonetheless, this Long Island branch of a New York City mainstay remains a hot table. The gratis antipasti alone (Grana Padano, sausage, sauteed zucchini and garlic bread) are enough to make a meal. Other highlights: house-made pastas (porcini ravioli in truffle-flecked Champagne cream sauce), risotti and delicate Dover sole. Finish with fresh berries and zabaglione. You'll pay plenty for the show.